Chicago Firefighters Pension Fund
public plan · City of Chicago · Rockford, IL
Funding History
What This Means for You
Chicago Firefighters Pension Fund is significantly underfunded at 19%, with $6.7B in unfunded liabilities affecting 14,043 participants. Plans at this funding level face difficult choices: raising contributions substantially, reducing future benefit accruals, or in extreme cases, applying for benefit suspensions. The PBGC has flagged this plan as critical status. Public plans cannot declare bankruptcy, but severe underfunding may lead to reduced cost-of-living adjustments or increased employee contributions. If you are a participant, it is important to understand your options and consider diversifying your retirement income sources.
Year-by-Year Funding
| Year | Assets | Liabilities | Funding Ratio | Contributions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $1.6B | $8.3B | 19.3% | $95.7M |
| 2024 | $1.6B | $10.4B | 15.1% | $76.9M |
| 2023 | $1.5B | $8.5B | 17.8% | $79.3M |
| 2022 | $1.5B | $18.6B | 7.9% | $70.7M |
| 2021 | $1.3B | $12.7B | 10.6% | $88.4M |
Frequently Asked Questions
Chicago Firefighters Pension Fund is 19% funded, meaning it has 19 cents in assets for every dollar in future benefit obligations. This is significantly underfunded and participants should monitor the situation closely.
Chicago Firefighters Pension Fund has 14,043 total participants, including 5,344 active employees and 8,699 retirees currently receiving benefits.
Chicago Firefighters Pension Fund is not covered by the PBGC. Benefits depend entirely on the plan's assets and the sponsor's ability to fund it.
The Pension Health Score (0-100, A-F) measures a pension plan's financial strength based on funding ratio (50%), funding trend over 3 years (30%), and PBGC risk level (20%). Higher scores indicate more secure retirement benefits.
Pension Health Score is calculated from funding ratio, 3-year funding trend, and PBGC risk classification.